Catharsis [Tom Riddle]

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Avalon felt her heart drop into her stomach at the Headmaster's words.

    'Clara Bell's body has been found at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.'

She felt sick.

But, all she could do was turn to look at Orion.

The color had drained from his features as he stared ahead at the Headmaster, a blank look on his petrified face.

Frantic whispers overtook the Great Hall as the horrible news shocked the students, but Dippet kept speaking. "We have been investigating the scene and have concluded that the cause of Miss Bell's untimely death was an attack from a creature that ventured outside the typical bounds of the Forest. There is a team of Magical Creature Specialists from the Ministry currently searching the Forest to find the beast responsible. But, we do believe that this was nothing more than a terrible, tragic accident."

"Oh my God..." Zelda said under her breath, her hand slowly rising to cover her mouth as she listened to the Headmaster in shock.

The sound of a choked sob turned Avalon's attention toward the Hufflepuff table. Clara's roommate, Isabella, burst into tears, her friends trying to calm her down. The girl's body shook violently as her sorrow overtook her entire being, crumbling her down into nothing more than a vessel for despair.

"I understand that this is a tough time for us as a school. Miss Bell was loved by all and her absence will be felt deeply throughout the entire castle. The remainder of classes will be canceled this week while we all are given a chance to grieve and prepare for a memorial."

Dippet continued talking, but his words faded to white noise in Avalon's brain as she watched Orion get up from his seat and hastily rush to the exit. Tom and Avalon both quickly stood and followed after him, trailing behind as the blond shoved the door open and fled the Hall.

The sound of the door bursting open stole the attention of all the students who weren't already sobbing to their friends. For a brief moment, Avalon glanced over her shoulder, a rising feeling of dread in her gut when she saw the hundreds of eyes that watched the trio leave the Great Hall.

Without another word, she turned and ran after Orion.

"Avery," Tom called out, grabbing his distraught friend's elbow.

Orion forcibly yanked his arm away, not bothering to even look back at his friends as he began running in the direction of the Hospital Wing. Avalon and Tom glanced at each other for a split second, the two of them silently agreeing to follow after their friend before they bolted after him.

The world was a jumbled blur as they scrambled up the flight of stairs and to the Hospital. The same corridors where Orion had cheered Avalon up countless times suddenly felt as though they were tainted by an intangible darkness that drowned them all in its woes. There was silence in the castle-- with everyone still huddled in the Great Hall, the only sounds that echoed through the walls were their rushed footsteps.

When they made it to the floor of the infirmary, Avalon could hear crying before they even reached the door.

Orion's footsteps slowed down as he strode quietly to the entrance, his eyes immediately falling on Clara's parents. Even with her back turned to Avalon, Tom, and Orion, Clara's mother looked just like her-- strawberry blond hair draped over her face as she clung to her husband, sobbing into his arms.

The sound of their harrowing cries tore through Avalon's chest like a knife. Memories of Molly and Arthur weeping over Fred's lifeless body came rushing back to her in a painful wave, but she couldn't afford to focus on that. Not now. Now when Orion was standing right next to her, his blank eyes staring straight ahead at his girlfriend's parents.